26 May 2012

Aubergine and Lentil Daal...

and day 5 of 5 in our 'National Vegetarian Week Challenge" (yes, I know 5 days do not make a week...but prior engagements meant 5 days were the most we would manage)...this is an old favourite of ours...and one of my most made 'veggie meals'...it's actually called a 'curry' in the book I got the original recipe from, but in my mind the texture is more of a daal...hence my name for the dish...This dish can be made as a main to have on it's own with some rice, or naan...or as I often do, add to a couple other dishes for an Indian version of a "Fake-Away"...It is a simple dish to make...as many of the dishes I make are...and it also freezes really well for another day...

To make enough for 4 as a main, 6 as part of a larger meal or 2 for 2 meals...you will need:*1Tbsp oil*1 onion*2 cloves garlic - crushed*1 large or 2 small aubergines*180g red lentils*1/2tsp salt*2Tbsp curry powder - your choice, but I just use a medium one...*600ml veg stock*200ml coconut milk*large handful fresh coriander - chopped

...as with many many recipes you start by softening your chopped onion and garlic...you want to sweat the onion until nice and soft, but not coloured...

...once soft enough, add the curry powder and cook for another couple of minutes, this will just cook out the raw spices in the powder...

...add the aubergine, lentils, salt and stock...

...stir to mix well...

...bring to the boil and then let simmer slowly on a low heat for about 20 minutes...you will need to stir from time to time to make sure the lentils don't stick to the pan...

...you want it to look a bit like the picture above, the aubergine still just holding its shape, and some of the lentils with a tiny bit of bite to them...

...add the coconut milk and stir in...let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes...

...add chopped coriander, taste and season if needed...

...we had ours last night with some plain steamed basmati rice...not the prettiest of dishes, but it is really rather easy to make, reheats well, freezes well and is tasty too...what more could you ask for...

About Me and Contact Details

Hi, My name is Sara, and this blog is my way of giving something back...Its purpose is to share some of my favourite and well-loved recipes, and to take you on my learning journey as I stumble through the ins and outs of learning to sew!